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Music schooling questions 4 U
 

offline Ophecks from Nova Scotia (Canada) on 2005-08-03 15:51 [#01682493]
Points: 19190 Status: Moderator | Show recordbag



Hi, there are a lot of very talented musicians here. I was
wondering who's actually going to school for it or looking
to make a career out of it? I need some help and have some
questions for you.

I'm thinking of attending this college here, for this course
here .PDF. If you can take a peek at that page
there... are you in anything like this, or do you know
anybody in anything like this? Not going into too much
detail, I have a good opportunity here and I need to make a
decision FAST.

Keep in mind the extent of my formal music training was a
couple of years of guitar lessons with accompanying
theory... I wasn't a stellar student because I slacked off
with aplomb, but I just wasn't pushed, I'm not a bad
musician by any means. Do you think I'd need some more
theory training, would I be in over my head if I went into
this kind of thing without, say, piano lessons? (Regardless
of what I do, I'm going to take piano lessons soon). Course
I messed around with Reason and Fruityloops but only for a
few hours (any1 remember my ''Piano tune'', I still remember
that faggy melody!)

This is an in-depth course but the dean says they ease you
into programs and they're designed for people with little or
no experience to jump right in and learn. But he WOULD say
that, wouldn't he? $$$

This is a pretty nice school, great equipment and they give
you a ''free'' laptop. Last year I ALMOST went there for
their network technician program, but I pussed out... not
that I'm not capable or interested in that stuff, but I hate
commitment.

What do you think? Any advice or insight? I'd also like to
hear about your formal training/schooling and how it's going
and how you like it, I'm really interested in this stuff and
I need some help. I'm going down there on Friday to look
around, but I want to ask some people who know. Maybe Zeus.

<3 8===D


 

offline Ophecks from Nova Scotia (Canada) on 2005-08-03 15:55 [#01682498]
Points: 19190 Status: Moderator | Show recordbag



I don't want to be in a rock band or anything, but I like
the spectrum of career prospects, and how the overall
experience of this thing sounds and looks.


 

offline stefano_azevedo from Pindorama (Brazil) on 2005-08-03 15:56 [#01682502]
Points: 4396 Status: Regular



i didnt read but i like you very much Mr Ophecks


 

offline rotunda on 2005-08-03 15:57 [#01682503]
Points: 359 Status: Regular



Do it man


 

offline Anus_Presley on 2005-08-03 16:03 [#01682518]
Points: 23472 Status: Lurker



Ohhhhhhhh Ophecks, is this forr you? I feel i know you too
well. Shit, I'm being negative. Go forr it. You can only
trry.


 

offline Anus_Presley on 2005-08-03 16:04 [#01682520]
Points: 23472 Status: Lurker



I've joined and drropped out of lots of things, it's done me
no harrm, just given me something else to add to my 'hate
list'


 

offline Anus_Presley on 2005-08-03 16:08 [#01682530]
Points: 23472 Status: Lurker



As forr music schooling, well, i trried to learrn to be a
musician and it didn't worrk out, because i was shit. If you
rreally love music in that sense, it's perrfect isn't
it? But only you know that.


 

offline Ophecks from Nova Scotia (Canada) on 2005-08-03 16:17 [#01682541]
Points: 19190 Status: Moderator | Followup to Anus_Presley: #01682530 | Show recordbag



You're right, I should just give it a shot. I tend to get
into stuff expecting it to be a long-term thing... I even
wasted two whole YEARS in a BA program. I should have quit
after a month.

I'm interested in being involved in the business... maybe
not as a musician, but I won't rule it out. I've never
tried... that's the biggest worry, I don't even know if I'm
not capable of doing this thing because I've never tried and
never made an attempt to write a song/compose anything for
more than like 5 minutes. I guess I should probably try,
yeah. But still, I'm going to inform my decision and I'm
trying to do it fast. I was talking to the head honcho there
about this program and I impressed him with my taste and
knowledge (and he impressed me) but that doesn't mean I can
compose or play or program or have a head for the business!


 

offline mylittlesister from ...wherever (United Kingdom) on 2005-08-03 16:45 [#01682569]
Points: 8472 Status: Regular



i'm currently doing a degree in music production, and it's
great so far! 24/7 music - going into college to do music,
who could ask for more? :)

most courses like these don't expect applicants to have lots
of musical training, they tend to accomodate people of
diffeing musical abilty.

on my course we had a few tests to make sure everyone was at
an adequate level. the areas of knowledged required were:
- time signatures
- rhythm values (crotchet, quaver, etc...)
- basic keys / scales (i.e. major, minor, perhaps a few
blues scales)
- chords and chord shapes.
- intervals (minor 2nd, 4ths, 7ths, etc...)
- understanding of the words melody, rhythm, texture, form,
instrumentation.
- and maybe a few more smaller things.

basically being able to read basic music is required. this
10month course seems very similar to my first year which i
have just completed.

if you want to get a headstart read up on miking techniques,
digital audio theory and midi theory. my lecturers bum these
3 books/authors:
sound and recording by francis rumsey & tim mccormick
the art of recording by william moylan
href="http://books.elsevier.com/us/bookscat/search/details.
asp?country=United+States&community=focalbooks&txtSearch=50
311&searchfield=ESSubjectCode&imprint=&operator=%3D&textboo
k=&highlight=0&display=collapse&isbn=0240516435&srccode=FSO
&ref=&mscssid=BFRAPJ7TDPRB8LL982E9JM4V8XMK730A"target=blank
the digital aud


 

offline rotunda on 2005-08-03 16:49 [#01682577]
Points: 359 Status: Regular



href="http://books.elsevier.com/us/bookscat/search/details.
asp?country=United+States&community=focalbooks&txtSearch=50
311&searchfield=ESSubjectCode&imprint=&operator=%3D&textboo
k=&highlight=0&display=collapse&isbn=0240516435&srccode=FSO
&ref=&mscssid=BFRAPJ7TDPRB8LL982E9JM4V8XMK730A"target=blank
the digital aud

is that the new analord track?


 

offline stilaktive from a place on 2005-08-03 16:49 [#01682578]
Points: 3162 Status: Lurker



I'm doing a course at Bathspa which is creative music tech.
mainly focusing on sound design and not recording. and
MAX/MSP etc. so thats all good. i want to make pop when im
older. and make advert music. and wooshy sounds. but no
theroy for me. or music instruments. why? i dont like them.
so there. its always silly 'rockers' or old post tennage
'rockers' who come on these courses anyway.


 

offline mylittlesister from ...wherever (United Kingdom) on 2005-08-03 16:50 [#01682580]
Points: 8472 Status: Regular



aww last one fucked up....

digital audio
by john watkinson



 

offline Ophecks from Nova Scotia (Canada) on 2005-08-03 17:24 [#01682626]
Points: 19190 Status: Moderator | Followup to mylittlesister: #01682569 | Show recordbag



Excellent, thanks for the replieiee.

most courses like these don't expect applicants to have
lots
of musical training, they tend to accomodate people of
diffeing musical abilty.


So I've been told and read... but of course I'm still
self-concious that there will be some savants there or at
least people with way more experience than me and I'll feel
all wimpy and shtuff. But I guess that's the point of...
''learning''.

I guess you plan on going into music production? What did
you plan on doing when you were going into it? Seems like
there's quite a few outcomes. And have you met any hot
chicks with good taste?

Thanks for the links, I'll check them out. Maybe I'm even
checking them out as we speak.


 

offline Ophecks from Nova Scotia (Canada) on 2005-08-03 17:26 [#01682627]
Points: 19190 Status: Moderator | Followup to Ophecks: #01682626 | Show recordbag



''conscious'', I meant. Fuck. Fuck.


 

offline mylittlesister from ...wherever (United Kingdom) on 2005-08-03 17:28 [#01682629]
Points: 8472 Status: Regular | Followup to Ophecks: #01682626



i can't really specify what i want to go into, i'm trying to
keep my options open :) production would be amazing, but
probably unlikely.

no hot chicks on my course, well maybe 1, and the fine ones
are on the music studies course and all play flute! :)


 

offline Skink from A cesspool in eden on 2005-08-03 18:41 [#01682646]
Points: 7483 Status: Lurker | Followup to mylittlesister: #01682629



i can think of a few things that you could do with those
flutes!

: )

Hehe.


 

offline oxygenfad from www.oxygenfad.com (Canada) on 2005-08-03 23:53 [#01682695]
Points: 4442 Status: Regular



I`d like to do a sound design thing but all the music
schools I checked out in Canada suck. Cept there will try
to find it and email it too you!

Being a New Brunswick boy, I have almost all the same
options as you as it comes to music schools, and I `ve
really looked into a shit load. I was very close to going to
music technique in Montreal because they had a music
business part in the course, explained how to make a
business plan and all that stuff I have no idea how to do.

The thing that stopped me is that I don`t think I want music
to be my job. I love music making music too much, I dont
want to put myself in a possition where I hate making music
yeah know? My friend put it this way ``If you are an
astronaut after 5 years it`s just a job``.

I think it is important to do what you love doing but I
think for a job you should really find a JOB you like doing.
It`s like eating your favorite food everyday you know?

I am starting data base programming next week at a college,
which is a huge step for this high school drop out drunk. I
think I am making the right move.

I have a 12`` coming out in a month on a record label , a 7
inch, a cd, and now there are plans for other stuff now. I
am living my music life, but am doing my plan b shit.

I`d say if you want the knowledge do it, if you want to have
fun do it. I didn`t do it because I figured I would being
doing 2 years at a call center to pay back my tuition. Fuck
that noise. The whole fun of making music is learning
yourself, for me anyway. I`ve heard of a lot of guys going
to those sound engineering schools and the whole course was
just micing drums and learning faders heh. A max MSP course
would be really fucking cool, job or not, I would sign up
for that.

Anyway I am going to fuck off now ...


 

offline Taxidermist from Black Grass on 2005-08-04 02:29 [#01682752]
Points: 9958 Status: Lurker



All I know, is schools that try to rush you through a one
year program with a degree at the end, are rarely there to
teach you high quality stuff. They are kind of like assembly
line schools to mass produce students. You want a school
that holds you in for a couple years, helping you develop
your skills and tallent instead of just showing you stuff
and expecting you to understand. My advice would be to shop
around a bit more.

A longer timeframe is more time and money, but with the kind
of carreer you could get out of it, its probly better to
have a more established school to your credit. Schools like
that one that you linked to are always popping up, and
shutting down, and usually the students don't have any
warning when they go out of business. So watch out.


 

offline Ceri JC from Jefferson City (United States) on 2005-08-04 04:25 [#01682824]
Points: 23533 Status: Moderator | Followup to Ophecks: #01682493 | Show recordbag



"(any1 remember my ''Piano tune'', I still remember
that faggy melody!)"


Yes, and if I remember correctly, my girlfriend of the
time's luke-warm reception of it was a contributing factor
to your temporary retirement from making music.


 

offline Ophecks from Nova Scotia (Canada) on 2005-08-04 06:39 [#01682899]
Points: 19190 Status: Moderator | Followup to oxygenfad: #01682695 | Show recordbag



Oxygenfad- I hear you, this is why I made the topic, I need
some sobering doses of reality. I would hate to come out of
this and get the wrong kind of job in the music field. My
blood boils when I'm within earshot of standard adult
alternative radio... I'd Ian Curtis myself if I had to work
with that stuff, as douchey as that sounds. Job security
would be an issue too. Good luck with the database
programming, that's a smart choice. I was chatting with Bill
Gates the day about not enough people going into fields like
that. Well not really chatting with him, per se, but I read
it on torrentspy.

Taxidermist- I hear you too. Information overload and it's
also quite expensive, but I can't really pick and choose
whatever I want, I've dug a deep hole for myself through
being a complete and utter headcase and my options are very
limited. But I am going to take your advice and shop around,
I'm still shopping, this was just the most attractive option
so far (I was going to shop around with or without your
advice though :-p, but hey it's good advice). With regards
to the school, it's been around in the same place as long as
I can remember and is pretty high quality, I don't think
it's shady or a gamble. I've been there and was impressed,
pretty respected school. Now the PROGRAM is another story,
that's a gamble...

Kerry- naw brah, that wasn't it! I liked that piano tune, it
was the only one I liked! I spent like an hour tops on all
that stuff anyway, the biggest factor in me quitting
Fruitylooping was a harddrive crash that wiped out ''new''
stuff and the same character flaws that have led me to
totally fuck up my secondary education.

Anyway thanks ev'ry1 for the help so far. I'm looking at
some other stuff, too. Maybe some sort of journalism thing
at a different college.


 

offline Ceri JC from Jefferson City (United States) on 2005-08-04 07:23 [#01682929]
Points: 23533 Status: Moderator | Followup to Ophecks: #01682899 | Show recordbag



I remember I quite liked the piano track (although I can't
remember it: when I try I remember a xanpha remix I did with
a piano in from around that time). I unfortunately lost my
copy of the mp3 (which I had till last year) in a disk crash
on my machine.


 


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